Hanwha Ocean, Gabler to collaborate for submarine MRO

South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean Co., the world’s third-largest shipbuilder, announced on Wednesday that it has signed a technical agreement with German defense contractor Gabler Maschinenbau GmbH for cooperation in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business of hoistable masts for submarines.

Hoistable mast refers to equipment such as periscopes, radars, and communication masts installed on the upper structure of submarines.

Gabler established Gabler Korea on Jan. 3 to prepare for collaboration with Hanwha Ocean.

Under the agreement, Hanwha Ocean will maintain the exclusive license for the domestic hoistable mast supplied by Gabler and establish a responsive system for material purchases and technical support through Gabler Korea.

The collaboration also includes sharing inspection and verification procedures for the future hoistable mast MRO business for South Korean Navy submarines and expanding the exchange of technical know-how.

Hanwha Ocean is making efforts to expand its business by establishing an MRO business organization internally, in light of the increasing demand in the global defense market and the growing importance of quality maintenance.

The defense contractors in Germany, the UK, and other countries have generated continuous revenue through MRO business for over 30 years even after exporting submarines.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com